A court in Istanbul ordered the arrest of a total of 11 suspects in the case of a bomb-laden minibus found in the Bahçelievler district of Istanbul on Dec. 13, the same day as the extraordinary meeting of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) also in Istanbul.
Anti-terror units had conducted an investigation after a minibus filled with 60 kilograms of explosives to be used in a potential terror attack was found in the district, detaining some 20 suspects, Anadolu Agency reported.
According to previous information obtained by Hürriyet daily, the National Intelligence Agency (MİT) branch in the southeastern province of Diyarbakır noticed increased activity between the PKK militants it has been tracking.
Authorities then determined that a person in contact with one of the militants in Diyarbakır bought a minibus in Istanbul, which was subsequently monitored by intelligence units.
The MİT’s Diyarbakır branch then determined that the PKK was planning a suicide attack on the Dec. 13 OIC summit in Istanbul.
Police found that the explosives in the minibus were hidden in fire extinguisher tubes placed in cases used to carry fish.
Authorities determined the bombs were a mixture of fabrication RDX, PTN and HMX types and were strengthened with nails and iron marbles in order to cause a wider explosion.
